US said planning $2.8 billion in munitions sales to Israel, including 2,000-lb bombs
Sources say pending sale to include 20,000 MK 84s, 20,000 BLU-117s and 20,000 I-2000 Penetrator warheads, as experts voice concerns over use of large bombs in urban areas
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US President Donald Trump’s administration is planning to sell to Israel a munitions package worth $2.8 billion, which will include tens of thousands of highly destructive 2,000-pound bombs, according to a US official familiar with the sale.
The planned sale, which has been informally communicated to relevant congressional committees that weigh in on large arms sales, includes 20,000 MK 84 and 20,000 BLU-117 2,000-pound bombs, the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said.
News of the package was first reported by The Washington Post, which added that the sale also includes a package of 20,000 I-2000 Penetrator warheads.
Asked about the pending sale, a senior White House official told the paper that “all foreign arms sales are moving through the appropriate process. We do not comment on pending sales.”
The Israeli embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The 2,000-pound bombs have been regularly used by Israel in Gaza as well as in Lebanon, drawing scrutiny from rights experts, who argue that they cause widespread damage that endangers civilians when used in urban areas, as they are capable of leveling entire buildings.
Former US president Joe Biden paused a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel in 2024 over concern of harm to civilians, though shipments were resumed when Trump took office in early 2025.
The Post report quoted a former US Army explosive-ordnance-disposal technician as saying that Israel likes “to use them a lot when they’re trying to target any building,” adding: “If Hezbollah or whoever is in a building, an MK-84 will bring down the whole building.”
Brian Finucane, a senior adviser at the International Crisis Group think tank, further voiced concerns about the pending sale to the Post, saying: “Given the way Israel conducted its air war in Gaza and, to some extent, in southern Lebanon, there are real concerns about how such weapons would be used in densely populated areas.”
“That’s assuming that you have valid military targets to start with because there are concerns about what Israel deems to be valid military targets,” he added.
Israel says it does not intentionally target civilians, and that its strikes are intended to neutralize terror threats and military infrastructure.
The Times of Israel Community.